Even before Jonathan Majors’ firing from the MCU, the way the franchise handled Kang sealed his fate before he even had a fair shot.

After the massive triumph of Avengers: Endgame, the MCU charged full speed into the Multiverse Saga, hyping Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror as the next Thanos-level threat. With infinite realities at play, the possibilities seemed endless.

Jonathan Majors as Kang from MCU | Credits: Marvel

But the universe as they say had other plans. A mix of creative blunders and real-world setbacks turned Kang’s reign into more of a fizzle than a domination the fans had hoped for. And honestly? It was never going to work, here’s why.

Why Kang never would have worked, even if Jonathan Majors stayed in the MCU?

Marvel wanted Kang to be the next Thanos, but the hype never quite landed. His debut in Loki’s “He Who Remains” was a promising start, ominous, charismatic, and full of cryptic warnings about his dangerous variants. It set the stage for something big, teasing the chaos to come. But then came Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, and instead of cementing Kang as an unstoppable force, it did the exact opposite.

Rather than making a grand entrance in a major Avengers-level event, Kang debuted as the villain in an Ant-Man movie, it’s a fun franchise, sure, but not exactly the place to introduce the next ultimate MCU threat. The idea seemed to be elevating Ant-Man’s status, but instead, it just undercut Kang’s ability.

The evolved ants overwhelm Kang in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania | Credits: Marvel

By the end of the film, he LOSES, to Scott Lang. And not just loses, but seemingly DIES! If this supposedly terrifying conqueror couldn’t handle one of the Avengers’ smallest (both literally and figuratively) heroes, why should anyone fear his variants going up against Thor, the Hulk, or Doctor Strange?

The post-credits tried to salvage the damage by revealing an entire council of Kangs, hinting at an even bigger threat ahead. But the impact had already been dulled. Instead of a slow-burning, looming presence like Thanos, Kang’s introduction felt rushed and uneven, turning what should have been the MCU’s next big bad into a villain that audiences just couldn’t take seriously.

Replacing Kang with Doctor Doom was a good decision!

Thus, Kang as established, was already on shaky ground, but then came the final nail in the coffin, Jonathan Majors‘ downfall. His casting as the next big MCU villain was a huge moment, and for a while, it seemed like he was destined to leave a mark on the franchise.

Josh Brolin as Thanos in Avengers: Endgame | Credits: Marvel Studios

But just as quickly as he rose, he fell. In March 2023, Majors was arrested on assault charges, and by December, he was found guilty of harassment and assault. Marvel wasted no time cutting ties, and with that, Kang’s reign came to an end.

So, Marvel did what Marvel does best, prepare for an even bigger surprise. And Doctor Doom came into the picture. And not just any Doom, Robert Downey Jr. ! The moment that news dropped, any lingering Kang disappointment was wiped away. Fans are now beyond excited to see how it all turned out for MCU.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is available to stream on Disney+.